Your IT Career
by Eric Bloom
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10 great ways to start a new IT job on the right foot

By Eric Bloom

August 15, 2011, 7:22 PM —

I just got a new job in a great IT organization. What things can I do to get off to a great start? Thanks, and I hope you publish my question :) Thanks, Justin T.

Hi Justin, thanks for writing in. First and most important, congratulations on your new job. There are a number of things you can do to help assure a quality start to your new job. As you will see, some can be done before your first day of work, others can be done as early as your first day of employment, and they are all related to learning about your new work environment.

Things you can do prior to your first day of work.

Learn as much as you can about the company, including its products, locations, history, revenue, and number of employees. This can be done by a combination of studying the company’s website, doing web and Twitter searches on the company’s name and its product names, and if the company is publicly held, analyze its stock price over the last year and any available investment research notes.
Learn about the industry if your new employer is in an industry you are not familiar with, (for example, healthcare, financial services, construction, etc.). This will help you gain a better understanding of the environment in which your company operates.
Use LinkedIn and other means to find someone who previously worked for the company. By talking with an ex-employee, you can generally get an unbiased and honest opinion of the company, including internal politics, things to watch out for, and how to best succeed.
Learn about the IT group’s vendors, methodologies, and technologies based on any information you gained during your interview process. Having a general understanding of these topics will save you a little study time once your job begins.
Learn about the company’s major competitors, particularly if the company has a specific competitor that it considers an arch rival. Knowing a little about the company’s competitors may help you create innovative IT solutions that truly can help beat the competition.

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Eric P. Bloom, a former CIO, is president of Manager Mechanics LLC, a company specializing in information technology (IT) leadership development and the governing organization for the Information Technology Management and Leadership Professional (ITMLP©) and Information Technology Management and Leadership Executive (ITMLE©) certifications.

He is also a keynote speaker, nationally syndicated columnist, National Speakers Association member, and author of various books including the following:

- The CIO’s Guide to Staff Needs, Growth, and Productivity
- Your IT Career: Get Noticed, Get Promoted, and Build Your Professional Brand
- Manager Mechanics: Tips and Advice for First-Time Managers.

Prior to founding Manager Mechanics, Eric led technology at Independence Investments and The Boston Company Asset Management. Eric was also a SVP of Business Systems at Monster Worldwide and a VP of Software Development at Fidelity Investments.

Eric began his career as a software developer (programmer) and moved through the ranks to CIO. He understands IT management from the bottom up. As they say, "He walks the walk."

Additional information on Eric can be found at www.ericpbloom.com and www.ManagerMechanics.com. He can be contacted at eric@ManagerMechanics.com.